Fundraising for Shelters
License Plates as Fundraisers
Sara Khurody-Downs
Wearing Your Heart on Your...License Plate
Raising money for pet population control programs.
By Sara Khurody-Downs
Ten years ago, New Jersey became the first state in the
nation to bring animal-friendly revenue sharing automobile
license plates to its citizens. The additional fees charged -
over and above regular registration fees - go to fund New
Jersey's Animal Population Control Program. These unique
specialty plates, complete with animal-centric designs and
slogans, currently raise approximately $300,000 a
year.
The 10-year anniversary of the plates is a good time to take
stock of the program. Prevent a Litter Coalition (PaLC), Inc. of
Reston, Virginia, an organization with a mission of finding and
implementing community-sustainable solutions to pet population
issues, is analyzing the data. The team is particularly
interested in finding efficient, effective and successful fund-
raising tools for targeted pet population programs in all
states.
Believing that the Animal Friendly License Plates (AFLP) may
be one such tool, PaLC is starting a thorough analysis of the
existing programs in the United States. As the group analyzes
existing AFLP programs, it hopes to make recommendations for best
practices, including effective fund disbursement and marketing of
the plates.
What Works, What Doesn't
Questions PaLC is addressing include: Which states have sold
the most plates, and why? Do certain designs and slogans appeal
to the public? How are the plates marketed? Do motor vehicle
departments promote the plates? What percentage of customers
renew their specialty plates? Do significant numbers of new
customers purchase the plates each year? What are potential and
projected sales? Will projected sales provide a significant
portion of the funding needed for targeted programs? How much
money has been raised? How are the funds disbursed? Have funds
been used as intended?
The answers to these questions will drive future AFLP
objectives and assist communities as they find new ways to fund
pet population control programs.
Other Successes
In 1997, Virginia became the second state to offer animal
friendly license plates as a voluntary way to proclaim its
appreciation for animals and raise funds for spay/ neuter
programs. Now, 10 years after the first-ever ani-mal friendly
license plate came into existence in New Jersey, more than
one-third of all states have enacted bills that allow for these
revenue-sharing license plates.
|
WHAT YOU CAN DO For information and a list of states with an AFLP program, visit PaLC's website at www.palc.org and click on "Animal Friendly License Plate Analysis," or send an 8.5 x 11-in. SASE with 83 cents of postage to: Prevent a Litter Coalition, AFLP Info, P.O. Box 9294, Reston, VA 20195. |
While research and analysis of all programs has only just
begun, PaLC provides all of the information it collects online at
www.palc.org. Located under the heading "Analysis of Animal
Friendly Plates," the data has become a growing central resource
of state-by-state information on the status of
AFLPs.
Additionally, PaLC offers an e-mail discussion forum for
local organizations and citizens to share tips and hints for AFLP
legislation, the marketing of plates and the management of fund
disbursements.
Find out about your state's program and buy an AFLP to help
control your local pet population.
Sara Khurody-Downs is the president of Prevent a Litter
Coalition, Inc.
© 2003 ASPCA
ASPCA Animal Watch - Spring 2003
Courtesy of
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128-6804
www.aspca.org
EMAIL
SHARE
